Russia Just Fired Cruise Missiles At The ISIS Headquarters In Syria

Russia officially joined the fight against the Islamic State after dropping bombs on the militant group in Syria.

The attack came just hours after Russia acknowledged for the first time a bomb, in fact, brought down a Russian charter jet in Egypt a little over two weeks ago.

According to The New York Times, the Islamic State almost immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, which killed all 224 people on board following takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and may have involved inside help from an airport staff member.

Alexander V. Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, told the Security Council of Russia on Monday,

We can say definitely that this was a terrorist act.

Russian news outlet RBC reports on Tuesday a Russian submarine located in the eastern Mediterranean launched advanced cruise missiles at the Islamic State's headquarters in Al-Raqqah, Syria.

Never before has Russia fired cruise missiles from a submarine in an act of war, RBC reports.

Reports from Russian news stating Russian fighter jets also bombed the militant group are yet to be confirmed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised the next attacks on the Islamic State would be far more extreme.

At a security council meeting, he reportedly said,

Our military work in Syria must not only be continued, but strengthened so that criminals understand that punishment is inevitable.

Any information resulting in the capture of the individuals responsible for the plane crash will earn a $50 million reward.

Their capture, Putin thinks, is inevitable. He reportedly explained,

We will search for them everywhere, no matter where they are hiding. We will find them in any place on the planet and will punish them.

Al-Raqqah was also the target of French air strikes in response to Friday's massacre in Paris that killed 129 and injured hundreds more.

According to The Guardian, the French military launched two air raids in the span of 24 hours, dropping 16 bombs on an Islamic State command center and training camp.

The French Ministry of Defense reportedly said the latest raid involved approximately 10 planes. It also said,

Both targets were hit and destroyed simultaneously. Conducted in coordination with US forces, the raid was aimed at sites identified during reconnaissance missions previously carried out by France.

French President François Hollande told the French Parliament on Monday a French aircraft carrier will be sent to the eastern Mediterranean, allowing France to triple its air strikes on the Al-Raqqah region.

Citations: Russia Says Bomb Downed Plane in Egypt and Intensifies Attacks on ISIS (The New York Times), France launches fresh strikes on Isis as Pentagon chief calls for global coalition (The Guardian)